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International Day of Non-Violence

In the last days, following a football derby held last Sunday, there has been talk of a rise in violence in football. Already in 1998, Aitor Zabaleta, a supporter of Real Sociedad who, along with his girlfriend, was going to see the match of his team, was killed by one of the members linked to the ultra group Bastión del Frente Atlético.

Violence cannot be permitted or justified in football, nor in the rest of society, no matter which side it comes from. Clubs should not take neutral or equidistant positions in front of situations of violence. As Ruth Milkman, former president of the American Sociological Association, says, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”

In light of this situation, and today being the International Day of Non-Violence, we cannot overlook the different initiatives being carried out in the football world to work towards this goal: non-violence. In this regard, the great work of the European Football for Development Network (EFDN) is noteworthy, as it promotes the power of football as a tool for social development and creates a collaborative environment for exchanging knowledge in order to develop diverse training methods that benefit communities across Europe.

This is the way forward: football that contributes to a better society and works for non-violence.

Editor of Daily 27.
Predoctoral researcher at the Department of Sociology in University of Barcelona.

By Aitor Alzaga Artola

Editor of Daily 27. Predoctoral researcher at the Department of Sociology in University of Barcelona.